I wrote this column for The Fox Forum on why Props. 1A through 1E went down to ignominious defeat:

California voters have overwhelmingly rejected the 5 “budget reform” propositions cobbled together by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democratic legislature, rejecting them by 30-point margins. Even in leftist bastion of San Francisco, these tax-and-borrow initiatives are going down.

The focus of voter ire was Proposition 1A, a soft-spending cap that also extended a massive, two-year tax hike for an additional two years. The tax extension was a partly successful bid to buy public employee union support.

The “Yes” and 1A-1E campaign possessed all the conventional advantages of winning a statewide initiative campaign: favorable ballot descriptions written by the legislature rather than, as is customary, by the Secretary of State; the support of nearly the entire ruling class from the governor… Read More

Over the next two days, we will be presenting to FlashReport readers our “Winners & Losers of the May 19 Special Election” feature… Today we will be presenting the winners – those people or groups who, from our perspective, increased their stature, standing and reputation as a result of the outcome of yesterday’s vote. Let me say that you will not find on the list below any of the labor groups (and there were some) who opposed Proposition 1A. Our position is that, given the ineffectiveness of the alleged “spending cap” in 1A, these groups have actually done themselves harm – though we are okay with that.

So, without further commentary, and in no particular order, our Winners…

FR’S WINNERS OF THE MAY 19 SPECIAL ELECTION

**There… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…

Voters to California Pols: Drop Dead

… Read More

Get a "sneak peak" — in full color — by opening the attachment below!… Read More

I’m not sure who won on Dancing On The Idle American Star Search last night but I do know thatall taxpayingCalifornians got a win with the election results of last night. If the legislature hasn’t "gottenit" yet with dismal poll ratings,the No On Prop 93 to term limit extensions result, the Tea Parties that have and will continue to happen all over the US andCalifornia, then maybe the Prop 1F resultwill send themessage. See that gesture legislators?Basically, theF in1F stands for finger, as in the middle fingerlegislators have just beengiven by many Californians.Don’t tax us more, get it right, don’t trick us with baddeals made at midnight.

With the state’sconditions as they are, there isn’t really muchcause to celebrate but a sense of relief that patchwork fixes did not get passed, aspending cap was not encased in the Constitution that doesn’t cap anything [which would’ve thereby ended the debate for good] that the debate must continue and a sober re-evaluation of what and how the state operates must occur. Indeed it is a 2nd chance to get it right.… Read More

Governor Arnold has made history. Since 2005, he’s been repudiated by almost every political coalition in California. Its a great illustration for all aspiring "GOP moderates" – stay in the middle of the road and EVERYONE runs over you.

Even with yesterday’s thorough beating, it will soon be obvious that California’s Democrat leadership and the Governor will prove to be too stupid to understand thatCalifornia voters have a limit to what they will put up with from Sacramento. Across the State, we knew from the day the budget deal was inked in February that it was a failure, that it was going to fail, and that higher taxes would drive stake into the heart of the economy. Apparently, those that voted yesterday agreed.

The Republican Party should not now "let a good crisis" go to waste. We need to show up with alternatives – NOW, and the first alternative we need to suggest are tax rate reductions, across the board, on small business and families. There is NO other strategy to jump start this economy than tax relief. Revenues to the State will increase if such a bold move is made, but when I observe… Read More

In a move that will be wildly popular on the heels of the Prop 1F passage, the California Citizens CompensationCommittee will reduce salaries by 18%, reducing the legislators grosssalary from $116,208 to $95,291. Under Prop112 passed by voters in 1990, the Committee sets salaries of legislators and higher offices. [Prop 140 later eliminated retirement benefits for legislators as well as installing term limits] Under the rules the cuts cannot take effect until Dec 2010. Prop 6, passed in 1972, prohibits reduction of pay during a legislators currentterm. Incoming and re-elected Senators and Assembly representatives will see that cut then.

The new lower salary will actually be less than the salary was back in 2004, when it was $99,000. The Committee then saw fit to hike it 3 times in 2 years as I recall to about $111,000, then $113,000 and finally the current $116,208 figure [leadership gets a higher salary] Taxpayers Ihappened to talk to aboutthis today laughed when I told ’em of this news. "Pay for performance" one told me. As a whole, yep!… Read More

Over the next two days, we will be presenting to FlashReport readers our “Winners & Losers of the May 19 Special Election” feature… Today we will be presenting the winners – those people or groups who, from our perspective, increased their stature, standing and reputation as a result of the outcome of yesterday’s vote. Let me say that you will not find on the list below any of the labor groups (and there were some) who opposed Proposition 1A. Our position is that, given the ineffectiveness of the alleged “spending cap” in 1A, these groups have actually done themselves harm – though we are okay with that. So, without further commentary, and in no particular order, our Winners… FR’S… Read More